Rory McCann

Mrs. Fournier
AP English
11 December 2009
Casebook Exercise 6
The central tone expressed in On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer is one of

admiration. Keats reveals his fascination for Chapman’s Homer through his comparisons to

astronomy and history. He also compares Chapman’s Homer to other commendable works of

literature, but only to show how they all pale in comparison. For instance he refers to previous

works he has read as he states, Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold, / And many goodly

states and kingdoms seen; / Round many western islands have I been/ Which bards in fealty to

Apollo hold. In this passage the reader can see that Keats has been very impressed with prior

works he has read. He even states that some have fealty to Apollo, meaning that they are faithful

to the standards of Apollo, the god of poetry. Therein lies heavy praise, however, he later shows

that they are nothing in comparison to Chapman’s Homer. Keats even groups Homer with the

others that he praises, stating, Oft that one wide expanse had I been told/ That deep-brow’d

Homer rul’d as his demesne; / Yet I did never breathe its pure serene/ Till I heard Chapman

speak out loud and bold:. In that passage he declares that he had not experienced the beauty and

tranquility that came from Homer until he had read it from Chapman.

His comparisons continue as he moves on to say how he felt at reading Homer. He states

that he felt like an astronomer who had discovered a precious, new, and undiscovered planet. He

also compares himself to Cortez, as he discovered Central America. In the comparisons the

reader gets the sense that Keats believes to have stumbled across a gem, which creates the tone

of admiration. Then felt I like some watcher of the skies/ When a new planet swims into his ken.
If one was to look back on history, they would learn that there was not much known about

celestial bodies in surrounding solar systems or galaxies, therefore, it would be a very exciting

and rare happening to randomly find a new planet. As the reader, one can only image the

overwhelming ecstasy at such a discovery in Keats’s day. With that understood, the reader can

better grasp not only the joy at the discovery of Chapman’s Homer, but also the potential to

observe, study, and experience it.

Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes/ He star’d at the Pacific-and all his men/

Look’d at each other with a wild surmise-/ Silent, upon a peak in Darien. Here, Keats displays

not only his excitement for finding and reading Chapman’s Homer, but he also expresses the

respect and reverence he has for it. Although it is a piece that he greatly enjoys, it is also one he

admires. Comparing himself to Cortez, taking in all that he had found, shows that he, too, takes

time to silently appreciate what he sees in Chapman’s Homer.

Specific words reveal the tone to the reader. The term, realms of gold, shows that Keats is

not merely describing a literary piece that he likes, but instead, it conveys that he values it to the

degree (and even greater) that gold is valued. Also, in fealty to Apollo reveals that he esteems

Chapman’s Homer greater than other works of literature that he considers worthy to be

considered loyal to the standards of the god of poetry. Pure serene is a phrase that refers to

something wholesome and tranquil, however, because follows the verb, breathe, the reader gets

the sense that it is life-giving to Keats, that he is sustained by this poem. Also, he describes the

look Cortez and his men share as a wild surmise; the reader may get a mental image of wide eyes

in wonder, yet silence in reverence. Therein lies the tone and mood of One First Looking into

Chapman’s Homer: admiration consisting of both respect and enthusiasm.